noun
thousand-armed Kannon; thousand-armed Avalokiteshvara
A form of the bodhisattva Kannon (Avalokiteshvara) depicted with many arms, symbolizing compassion reaching all beings. Used in Buddhist contexts.
See also: 観音
京都の三十三間堂には千手観音像が千体安置されている。
At Sanjūsangen-dō in Kyoto, one thousand statues of the thousand-armed Kannon are enshrined.
Standard modern kanji spelling.
Out-dated kanji form using 觀 instead of 観; mainly encountered in older texts.
観音 is the general term for Kannon (Avalokiteshvara); 千手観音 specifically refers to the thousand-armed manifestation.
From 千手 (thousand hands) + 観音 (Kannon, Avalokiteshvara). The term is a direct translation of the Sanskrit 'Sahasrabhuja Avalokiteśvara'.